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REIV Ethics Disgrace
14 March 10 05:16 PM | Peter Mericka | 6 Comments   

OPINION by Peter Mericka B.A., LL.B Real Estate Lawyer Qualified Practising Conveyancer Victoria Director Lawyers Real Estate Pty Ltd There is little doubt that the real estate industry in Victoria is the most corrupt in Australia. This is largely due Read More...

Filed under: REIV, Deception, Valuation, ethics, real estate institute, conflict of interests, underquoting, conditioning, ranges first national real estate, valuer, acting for both parties, real estate industry

REIV Pricing Ploy Relies On Lies
25 October 09 09:02 PM | Peter Mericka | 24 Comments   

by Peter Mericka B.A., LL.B Real Estate Lawyer Qualified Practising Conveyancer Victoria Director Lawyers Real Estate Pty Ltd We now have the REIV inventing, and forcing its own legislation on real estate consumers. When will journalists, regulators, Read More...

Filed under: REIV, Estate agent, Deception, Valuation, ethics, Enzo Raimondo, prices, real estate institute, conflict of interests, legal advice, inspection report, real estate institute of victoria, price, scam, valuer, advertising, conveyancers, advertisement, acting for both parties, real estate valuation, real estate industry, gullifer

Book Exposes Real World Of Real Estate
19 October 09 07:01 AM | Peter Mericka | 6 Comments   

by Peter Mericka B.A., LL.B Real Estate Lawyer Qualified Practising Conveyancer Victoria Director Lawyers Real Estate Pty Ltd I was watching "First Tuesday Book Club" on ABC TV a few months ago, and I saw the host, Jennifer Byrne hold up a copy of Brendan Read More...

Filed under: Deception, Auction, fraud, corruption, appraisal, sold, estate agency, real estate industry, gullifer, listing

Enzo Raimondo - Auction System's Fair, You Can Quote Me
31 July 09 04:46 PM | Peter Mericka | 3 Comments   

OPINION by Peter Mericka B.A., LL.B Real Estate Lawyer Qualified Practising Conveyancer Victoria Director Lawyers Real Estate Pty Ltd Following on from my previous posting in which I acknowledged Enzo Raimondo, CEO of the Real Estate Institute of Victoria Read More...

Filed under: REIV, Deception, Valuation, Enzo Raimondo, conflict of interests, valuer, appraisal, acting for both parties, slod, api

Developers Beware...Of Your Marketing Agent's Advertising!
03 March 09 06:51 AM | Peter Mericka | 2 Comments   

OPINION by Tim O'Dwyer M.A., LL.B Solicitor Consumer Advocate watchdog@argonautlegal.com.au The Supreme Court of New South Wales recently ruled that the buyers of an off-the-plan property were entitled to a rescission of their contract and a deposit refund Read More...

Filed under: Deception, Marketing, advertising, developer, advertisement, misrepresentation

Video Recording of Real Estate Auctions
16 February 09 07:13 AM | Peter Mericka | 23 Comments   

OPINION by Peter Mericka B.A., LL.B Real Estate Lawyer Qualified Practising Conveyancer Victoria Director Lawyers Real Estate Pty Ltd It's time for consumers to get serious about the tricks and criminal conduct associated with real estate auctions. As Read More...

Filed under: Deception, Auction, Auctioneer, dummy bidding, recording, video

New Contract - Same Old Deception
08 October 08 07:49 PM | Peter Mericka | 3 Comments   

OPINION by Peter Mericka B.A., LL.B Real Estate Lawyer Qualified Practising Conveyancer Victoria Director Lawyers Real Estate Pty Ltd The new Contract of Sale of Real Estate prescribed by the Estate Agents (Contracts) Regulations 2008 was supposed to Read More...

Filed under: REIV, Deception, Contract, contract note, contract of sale of real estate

Contract Note Banned! Estate Agents Lose Deception Tool
22 September 08 06:45 AM | Peter Mericka | 27 Comments   

OPINION by Peter Mericka B.A., LL.B Real Estate Lawyer Qualified Practising Conveyancer Victoria Director Lawyers Real Estate Pty Ltd The document known in the real estate industry as “the standard REIV Contract Note” has been banned. As from 28 September, Read More...

Filed under: REIV, Deception, contract of sale, contract note

Contract Switching & Lies At Ranges First National RE
27 August 08 09:49 AM | Peter Mericka | 4 Comments   

OPINION by Peter Mericka B.A., LL.B Real Estate Lawyer Qualified Practising Conveyancer Victoria Director Lawyers Real Estate Pty Ltd Hot on the heels of the contract switchers at Barry Plant Real Estate Croydon comes Ranges First National Real Estate Read More...

Filed under: Deception, contract note, ranges first national real estate, jim conder, contract switching, rik rushton

Estate Agent Theft Threat Increasing
24 August 08 10:11 AM | Peter Mericka | 1 Comments   

OPINION by Peter Mericka B.A., LL.B Real Estate Lawyer Qualified Practising Conveyancer Victoria Director Lawyers Real Estate Pty Ltd According to Chris Vedelago, writing for The Age newspaper, "Falling sales levels and the prospect of a weaker market Read More...

Filed under: Deception, underquoting, obtaining property by deception, john talia, real estate theft, obtaining financial advantage by deception, conditioning

The Conviction of John Talia
23 August 08 07:15 AM | Peter Mericka | 17 Comments   

OPINION by Neil Jenman Consumer Advocate A former Ray White franchise agent, John Michael Talia, has been convicted of obtaining property by deception . Last Thursday (August 14, 2008), after the guilty verdict was read out in the Victorian County Court, Read More...

Filed under: Deception, fraud, talia, obtaining property by deception, criminal deception, john talia

Walk Away To Bid Another Day
19 February 08 09:08 AM | Peter Mericka | 1 Comments   

by Tim O'Dwyer M.A., LL.B Solicitor Consumer Advocate watchdog@argonautlegal.com.au Walk away to bid another day - but not before the auction is over. Picture yourself as a duly registered, cashed-up bidder at the auction of a seaside mansion. Bidding Read More...

Filed under: Conveyancing, Deception, Auction, Agent, Auctioneer, Bid

The "Oh", "Really?" and "I Wish I Had Known That!" of Making an Offer and Organising Finance
24 January 08 09:55 AM | Shannyn Hunter | 7 Comments   

by Shannyn Hunter Conveyancer shannyn@lawyersconveyancing.com.au Lawyers Conveyancing On Monday morning purchasers can experience a real estate hangover. After a weekend of elation at finding their dream house and pressure from the agent to make an offer, Read More...

Filed under: Conveyancing, Estate agent, Deposit, Conveyancer, Purchase, Lawyer, Deception, Finance, Sale, Agent, Residential, Valuation, Contract, finance condition, real estate, special condition, solicitor, legal advice

Estate Agents Revolt Against Toothless Tiger
30 November 07 08:40 AM | Peter Mericka | 2 Comments   

by Peter Mericka B.A., LL.B Real Estate Lawyer Qualified Practising Conveyancer Victoria Director Lawyers Real Estate Pty Ltd It's not often that I have to agree with the Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV), but they have a point when they question Read More...

Filed under: REIV, Estate agent, Deception, Consumer Affairs, Enzo Raimondo, real estate institute

A Reward For Your Good Word
15 November 07 11:32 AM | Peter Mericka | 1 Comments   

by Tim O'Dwyer M.A., LL.B Solicitor Consumer Advocate watchdog@argonautlegal.com.au The letter below recently came to me in the mail from a nearby estate agency. This agency happens to be part of a national real estate franchise which proudly boasts “offices Read More...

Filed under: Estate agent, Deception, Marketing, real estate